The Road That Leads To Nowhere
by PrincessZidet
Summary: Keiko is very sick and faints in the nurses office in her school. She wakes to find herself in a strange mansion with Koenma and Botan. And neither of them seem to tell her whats going on. There is only one window in that house. and it is completely black


Zidet: alright everyone.. here is a small little story I made.. because I had a dream of it a few nights ago. But since I cant use myself I decided to put another character in it in my place. I hope you all like Keiko, because thats who I am going to have to use. heh heh

Keiko: whats that supposed to mean?! you dont like me?!

Zidet: thats not what I mean its just...

Keiko: no never mind.. I understand! (blows rasberry)

Zidet: doesn't look like it to me... anyway..um I dont know If I spelled Keiko right.. and she wont tell me so umm err. dont yell at me please.. you have all seen worse, right? hehehe.

Disclaimer- I do not own any Yu Yu Hakusho Characters... But I DO own this dream mwhahahaha.. Because I dreamt it.. with me only.. so (sigh)

"I can't remember much that has happened. It all.. went by so fast. Just like it was all a dream.. and nothing more. But it's not something most people would understand. Though I am sure Yusuke would. But I can't tell him. Maybe one day. But not right now. not... right.. now".

The day was as it should have been. Rain fell from the sky as students rushed to their classes as doors closed. The clouds darkened more as a loud crash of thunder echoed through the halls of the school. But as the day wore on, a teachers door was opened as Keiko walked out with her head down sighing heavily. Her face was pale as she walked to the nurses office , stumbling ever so often. Her eyes were glassy as her vision began to blur.

'Almost there.. then I can go home to rest. I.. really need it right about now.' As she walked down the stairs , she thought back to when she first kissed her dear Yusuke. It was like magic. And to her suprise she found a flood of memories beginning to take over most of her thoughts. But the past began to overwhelm her as she walked faster afraid that she might faint. Her past memories came even faster that it frightened her. Why was she thinking this now? It couldn't possibly mean anything.

Voices began to go through her head . all of them. Kurama ..Yusuke... Shizuru.. Kuwabara.. and even that small Hiei's voice. But she still couldn't understand why. Why was she hearing all of this? All of these.. voices. and all of these images.

Before she knew it, Keiko found herself running through the halls and down more stairs rushing to the nurses office. Her short brown hair bounced a little as her shoes clicked against the school floors. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she began to see darkness all around her.

' I want to see Yusuke... I feel horrible right now. And I'm scared.'

She ran faster , bumping into the school janitor, and quickly going past him. Things felt as if they began to slow down. Her breathing she heard as if it was the only sound on this whole earth But it was quite different in her mind. Her footsteps echoed more to the sound of her delicate ears.

Keiko reached the door putting one hand to the knob turning it slowly. A bead of sweat trickled down her face as she walked inside looking to the nurse. The voices and images inside her head grew more as she stumbled back, trying to keep her balance. Going to her knee's she put her two hands over her head , whimpering from all the voices she was hearing. It was growing to loud.Her body shook as she heard the nurses voice faintly but louder still were the others.

'hey Keiko why dont you stop following me and just go on home?

'Hey kid, just smile and you will be alright. Cheer up.'

'You know you shouldn't be here Kayko..'

'Kayko dear, can you go put the towels in the washer for me'

'Sweetheart it's time to eat.'

The frightened girl cried out as the nurse put one hand to her shoulder shaking her gently.

"can you hear me , honey.. can you answer me. please answer me.." the woman continued shaking her lightly as she looked over saying something to the assistant nurse. Keiko kept her eyes tightly closed as she felt herself being lifted up a few moments later and being placed onto a small cot. As soon as her body touched the the solid surface, she immediatly curled up, hearing the voices still. The memories continued going like a film was playing in her head.

"Mom.. Yusuke...help.." she whispered lightly as more sweat went down the side of her face. Her body felt warm as her eyes began to close. She still felt the nurses shaking her and asking her to answer back to them.

Her eyes now completely closed, the nurses voices began to fade. The hands on her that continued shaking her lightly, felt like nothing more than a light breeze caressing her body. She could see nothing but darkness as she screamed falling more and watching the memories play all around her as she still continued to fall.

"whats..happening.. why am I seeing all of this"? She asked herself, not expecting an answer. But there was one. And the voice sounded so familiar. Someone who had helped her so many times. Though she couldn't place who it was. Not until she opened her eyes again. She felt her body again as the voices and memories began to die down and leave her completely. She moved her hand up to her face as she opened her eyes slowly looking up. Blue hair, and a cheery face.

"Botan..? What are you doing at my school? and.. " she trailed off looking around the room. This wasn't her school. It was somewhat of an old room. The bed she layed on felt soft and comfortable. So comfortable that she didn't want to move at all. Her eyes scanned the room slowly seeing an old bookcase in a corner with many faded dusty books laying on the shelf. The floor had dark brown tile that was lined with a red velvet rug. There was one window that seemed to be completely black. It certaintly looked that way. Though there were no curtains. And there were no stars. It felt though as is she would have went to that window and jumped through it, she sould never hit the ground, for it would surely take her into a pit of nothingness.

Her eyes wandered back to Botan as she tilted her head in confusion. Her eyes looked so sad and lonely as she looked straight into Botan's.

"tell me.. where is this? Is Yusuke here? Or..anyone else"? Her voice was shaky as she looked to the window again wondering how Botan could possibly smile in a place like this.

"oh thats right Keiko.. you fainted at your school. And I brought you here. Its kind of creepy I know. And..well no..Yusuke is not here. But Koenma is here. And.. me.. But thats enough to keep you calm right"? Her voice was cheery as usual as she walked to the the door opening it a little. Keiko blinked a few times seeing the more mature version of Koenma step inside, smiling some. He quickly brushed his brown hair back keeping the infamous pacifier in his mouth.

"well hello there Keiko. How are you today? I guess I shouldn't be asking that on account that you fainted today at school. But thats all over. And you are alright now, I assume"? His brow raised lightly watching to see how Keiko would react.

With a shaky body still, Keiko got up from bed walking up to the two slowly. Her mouth was curved in a frown as she looked up at them , shaking still.

"Well I could believe that. Cause I know how I felt. But why am I in this creepy house? Its.. well it makes no sense. And why would you of all people care that I had fainted. Well , yes.. I know you would care. But I find it hard to believe you both would bring me here to this place to keep me rested. Besides... I was expecting to wake up in a hospital. Or at least my own house. But.. not here with you two." She lowered her eyes as the two looked at her still.

"Keiko.. you mean you don't want to be with us? Is that it"? Botan questioned looking away, her feelings hurt. Koenma sighed more looking over to the window with a concerned expression on his face.

"no, no, no.. thats not what I meant, its just that. well I never expected to see you two here. I know how busy you both are with stuff." There was a long pause as Koenma cleared his throat walking back to the door.

"We are doing a favor for Yusuke. I am sure if..something were wrong with you he would want you in the hands of people he trusts. And as for working.. rest assured. We are still doing as we are supposed too." With that to think through her head, Koenma walked out of the room leaving Botan in the room with Keiko. The silence between them was long until Keiko finally decided to step forward. She tried to smile a little. Her eyes brightened up more.

" Oh well ok.. Well I guess I will look around a little. Is that alright?" Her voice still shook as she eyed the door behind Botan.

The girl immediatly stepped aside opening the door and putting one hand out.

"oh well of course Keiko! Go to where you please. Just dont go outside alright?Its kind of cold out. And there is really nothing out there for you to see anyway, ok"? Her smile was wide as she waited for the girl to walk out.

"Well ok.. I guess so. But I will be home soon , right"? her eyes looked into Botan's with a questioning gaze.Botan put her hand down , looking out to the window again.

"well, yes Keiko.. as soon as we get ahold of Yusuke.. so he can come get you. God knows we can't have your mother coming to get you. It wouldn't be very normal now would it"? She laughed a little walking out of the room smiling and rushing off into the big house somewhere.

Keiko looked around, seeing how big this place really was. It seemed to be a mansion of some sort.She certaintly didn't want to go very far for fear she would get lost in the massive house.

"well I guess I can explore a little. While I wait..." she murmured as she stepped down the stairway, going down one slow step at a time. Her white socks touched the floor lightly as she looked around. The house didn't seem to have much human contact as far as she could see. dust and cobwebs hung around on portraits on the wall and layed on unlit chandeliers on the ceiling. The stairs creaked as she stepped on each one making her jump a few times. It was so silent here, that of course even the slightest noise would scare her.

As she stepped on the floor and off the stairs she was face to face with the door that she assumed was the exit. Her mind drifted too far over to her curious side as she walked closer to it putting one hand on the golden doorknob. It felt so cold, and distant though her hand rested upon it. The coldness was enough to make her hand draw back. She immediatly backed away, looking around some more as she saw noticed there seemed to be no more windows in the bottom half of the house. It made her wonder if there was that only one in the room she woke up in. But then of course, who would want windows all over the house, when they showed nothing but darkness.

Her breath became heavier now as she walked into a living room that held millions of books all over that traced the walls on dusty shelves. The floor seemed more to the ground and not as soft as she entered. Her eyes once again searced the place over seeing a brown wooden desk in the middle of the room. A lamp was lit on it as the light shined down on the desk, signaling that someone had been reading there. Her eyes looked around at all of the books that were among the shelves along the wall.

The silence was interrupted by a soft chiming near a corner of the room. It sounded so beatiful and soft. It almost appeared to calm her nerves as she began to walk to the direction of the sound.Keiko was so transfixed on the sound, that she didn't hear the yelling upstairs. Her eyes traced a sparkle in the corner as she still continued on, curious to what it was. The chiming rang more making her smile as she felt her whole body relax. Whatever this was made her body feel calm and excited at the same time. The sparkle caught her eyes again as she was now so close to the sound.

She squinted seeing another glimmer. She felt herself leaning toward it to admire what she now saw. There were chimes, hung in a corner. She couldn't believe how the sound had attracted her to it this much. It was like something from a dream.

Her hands went over the sparkling chimes, that had made her body so calm. But this time it seemed different when touching it. It too was cold and distant. Like it had been untouched for such a long time. Keiko tensed up immediatly looking at the top of the chimes which had a little silver bell that stood so still. She turned it a little putting her ear close to the bell hoping to hear it ring. But no sound was heard from it. A tear suddenly from her face as she put one hand to her cheek feeling it. She wanted to make sure it was real. She didn't know why that had happened. It was if she was crying over the broken bell. But why? It wasn't that important.

She looked up and around the room seeing it glimmer more and sparkle as if the room had suddenly been decorated with heavenly wind chimes. She shook a little racing over to another wind chime immediatly turning it over and pressing her ear to the bell at the top and shaking it. She heard a little jingle from it, noticing that this one felt much warmer then the other. But she didn't seem quite as attached to it as the other she had first seen.

Something caught her attention, suddenly seeing writing engraved on the bell. She squinted again trying to read the writing. It was so small yet clear the same time.

When the words had finally been read by Keiko, she immediatly backed away, unsure of what this was. Her body turned to where the last wind chime was. The one she had read made her body grow almost as cold as the doorknob she had felt outside by the entrance to the mansion she was in.

'Yusuke.......'

Thats what the bell had said. And normally she wouldn't have felt so panicked if she hadn't felt those strange feelings when she first touched each of them.

As she reached the last one she had seen, it rang out once again as her hands examined the top seeing writing there as well. As soon as she was finished, her hand let go of it as she backed away.

'Keiko'........

"Why.. doesn't the bell ring..? Why doesn't it..?" She trailed off rushing to another one that read 'Shizuru'. Once again as she tilted it a little she heard the bell ring along with the same warm feeling she had gotten from Yusuke's. Her eyes watered with unshed tears blinding her vision.

"no..this doesn't mean anything.. there are just. wind chimes... they are nothing more.." she whispered so softly that she herself couldn't hear her voice. As she continued backing away,she bumped into the desk that sat in the middle of the room. The book that layed across it, made Keiko's body shake more as the first few pages made the tears fall finally. Her eyes went down the page quickly as her hands trembled going to her mouth keeping her from screaming.

'Keiko. Status: Deceased.

Cause of Death: unknown illness.

Currently waiting for journey to Spirit World.'

Keiko went to her knee's crying and rocking back and fourth. Her hair hung infront of her eyes as she whined more.

"no.. this isn't real.. its not real.." she chanted over and over again, now knowing why the bell was broken. Why..it had felt so cold.

Footsteps were heard as somebody came closer as she heard the yelling that was going on earlier. But she was unaware of that.

"Botan.. I told you to lock this room. Why don't you ever listen to me.. she wasn't supposed to find out this way"! she heard Koenma shout also feeling one hand on her shoulder. She didn't respond to it as she curled up shaking and crying.

"its...not real..its not real..its not...real" she continued to whisper silently. Koenma sighed lifting her up and holding her by the waist firmly to keep her standing.

"Now.. listen to me Keiko.. it is real. You died. In that hallway of your school. You never even made it to the nurses station. When you went outside of your classroom you fell not to far from there and died a few minutes later. I .. dont know why. I was expecting it , yes. But... I dont know what sickness struck you down so quickly. Now please.. Keiko. I want you to go upstairs and sit down. Just relax. you dont even have to breath, alright. I know this is hard. I will still get Yusuke for you , of course. But please.. just calm down. So Botan.. can get you ready to take you to spirit world , alright"?

Hearing that place made her jerk away from him shaking still as her legs felt as if they could barely keep her up. She looked behing him seeing Botan lean against a wall with sparkling tears going down her own face.She shook her head once glancing down at the book, then back to them.

"no.. your lying.. I didn't. I remember getting to the nurses office. I remember everything. I just don't recall when I fainted there. Thats all. But who doesn't! answer me that"! Her voice sounded much more frightened then angry. Koenma shook his head looking down and closing his eyes.

"no Keiko. That was what you wanted to happen. Thats what you wished would have happened. But you never made it that far. You never got there. You went down to quickly. Your life ended to suddenly for that to have happened... I'm sorry".

Keiko shook her head more as she ran past them going to the door that led outside. Se heard Botan's voice calling out her name as she ran outside looking around. Nothing. Nothing was out there. only a long dirt road that seemed that nobody had ever gone down before. She heard the door open up behind her as she waited no longer as she raced forward down the long road. Her steps were shaky as she continued ,tears still falling as her hair bounced up once again as the dull wind hit against her. The sky up abover her which looked entirely black changed to a more lighter color. Rather colors as an amazing aurora was above her. Though the rest of the sky remained black.

'This is all a lie. I know it. I will just go home and when I get there everything will be ok. Or maybe this is just a dream.' millions of thoughts went through her head, just like when she was heading for the nurses office.

She continued running feeling the roads soft texture. Her body felt weak and detached as she continued not wanting to look back afraid to see if Koenma or Botan were chasing after her.

It felt as if hours had passed, though nothing seemed to change as she fell to her knee's still seeing the bright colored aurora. She bit her lip tightly clenching her fists and putting them into the ground.

"Stop it! this isnt real! Its can't be! I won't let it be this way! I am not dead! Its not real"! she screamed as loud as possible her eyes red from crying. She began to shake more as she layed on the ground sobbing.

"Keiko, Keiko.. please accept it. This is reality. Just as real as your last life. please come inside. You will get nowhere far on that road. You have nowhere to go but Spirit world. Please understand". Botan's voice rang out quitely feeling very close to her.

Looking over her shoulder she saw that the mansion she had left from was only a few feet away from her. She hadn't gone anywhere. That road she ran on.. led to nowhere. No matter how much she tried to be free from its perpetual design. She had failed.

Her shoulders went up and down from crying so hard as she sniffled trying to stand up. Botan walked over to her with a sad face.

"Come on sweety.. its alright. Everything will be ok. Please believe me..please". Botan took her by the arm leading her inside and going back up the stairs and going into her room to lay her down. Her head pressed into the pillow as a tear escaped onto it. She felt Botan rubbing her back and whispering to her.

"Keiko.. just because you are no longer part of the living world.. doesn't mean that you cant rest. So please do do so. We have a long journey ahead of us. So please. Just relax. and close your eyes." Botan stood up and walked to the door looking back once before closing the door, leaving Keiko to herself.

"And never open them again.. never again" Keiko whispered to herself as she did so, keeping her head in the pillow hoping she would just fade form exisistance. Or wake up and find that none of this had happened.

Still resting in the soft bed, Keiko was awoken to a soft sound of people crying. Not just one.. but many. It came from outside. She looked over to the window seeing that once again the outside was black. Nothing but darkness. Was death...supposed to be this Grim?

The crying was so faint she had trouble hearing it. But it all sounded so real. Her feet touched the ground as she stood up going to the door and and opening it. She expected either Botan or Koenma to be outside waiting for her. But not one single person was there. Not one.

Keiko walked down the stairs again feeling the cold knob hoping not to alert the other two. The crying seemed to come from out here anyways. She turned it all the way giving it a small push afterward seeing the same haunting road infront of her again. It seemed much more darker and lonely this time. Her mind was clear and more cautious. Why wouldn't she think that way right now..?

Right as she opened the door, the crying grew a bit louder. Maybe it was coming from the otherside of the road. The other side..the question was could she get to it.?

The crying seemed to go more through her head as she began to walk forward and onto the road. As soon as her feet touched the ground that same aurora appeared above the sky. She wondered what it was. Did it mean anything?

She took another step making the colors in the sky pulse. Everything

seemed so different this time. She didn't know how though. She didn't know whether she felt more confident.. or more afraid.

Keiko took another step, followed by the other as she looked back to the mansion that stood in the middle of nowhere. She looked to the window that seemed to be the only one there, so she assumed it to be the one she was in for what seemed like forever. Up in the window stood Koenma watching her with a stern gaze. She immediatly panicked turning away her hair flipping quickly as she ran once again down the long road. Her steps seemed to echo like they once did down the hallway's of her school. She whimpered a little stumbling and almost falling over. She quickly caught herself gasping and standing more steadily as she continued running down the long road that was believed to lead to nowhere.

Running faster than she ever had before, she began to see lights as the road curved into a hill. Her eyes widened as she smiled running up the hill wanting and needing to see what was on the other side. The lights grew brighter as she continued up reaching the top. What she saw made her cry out in joy. Her school. It was late at night and the schools night stadium lights for the football field was still on. She looked back once more seeing the mansion began to come closer as it seemed to try to reach her and take her back inside. It was coming faster and faster as she shook in terror watching as it continued as if it were a living thing. Her smile was erased as she raced down the hill running for her school. The very place that she was said to have died. It came closer and closer, as she refused to look back afraid that mansion would be right infront of her.

'Almost there.. I see the doors. All I need to do is get inside and I can go back to living my normal life. As it should of been.And always will be until I get old and pass away from the age.. not some strange illness.' Her thoughts went through her head again as she took the very same stairs she remembered walking down when she had first tried to go to the nurses office. The crying seemed to disappear as she decended.

What she saw at the bottom a few feet away almost made her jump back.A body. A body laying down. Her hands at her sides and her hair infront of her eyes covering them. She didn't appear to be moving at all. That body that was down there that looked so much like hers was motionless. Lifeless. Dead. Gone forever... never coming back. Her eyes closed.

"Never to open again.." her voice choked out as she let tears fall. She quickly blinked them back. But as soon as she had done that. The broken form was gone. Gone as if it had never been there.

For a moment Keiko was frightened to go down scared that the corpse she had seen had gotten up and hid itself from her. What if tried to take her back to the house. That Mansion that she never wanted to see again.

Trying to shake it off she continued down the stairs seeing the door to the nurses office up ahead of her. She moved her hair out of her face and continued reaching the bottom feeling a sick feeling in the pit of her stomache. She was standing on the exact same spot she had seen the corpse that looked so much like her's. But.. she refused to believe it to be her. As she shuddered walking off the ground that seemed to be deaths place for the moment she reached the nurses office.

Keiko stepped in looking around seeing students already here ,looking over to her curiosuly then looking back down to the ground waiting to see if they were allowed to go home.

"Miss. may I help you.. Miss"? a voice snapped the silence as Kaiko looked over gasping a bit bowing her head glad to know that people had seen her. Now she knew she wasn't dead.

"um yes.. I need to call My Mother. My name is Keiko and I-

"Keiko? Sweetheart.. it's not nice to play games like that. Now please get back to class." The nurse looked back down to her desk and began writing a pass for another student. Keiko stood still in shock not moving.

"W-what? What are you talking about? I said call my Mother please. I want to go home"! her voice began to shake again as she took a step forward.

"And I dont know why school is being held in the night time but..please..let me call my mother". She looked over at the nurse as she stood up walking over to her. Her eyes were serious and very annoyed.

"now listen here.. Keiko. Keiko died maybe about one week ago. Now get on out of here. what are you trying to do? Upset someones family? And as for school running in the dark. I have no idea what you are talking about. It sure looks bright out to me. Now get back to class before I call the deans to come get you". her tone was impatient but had a hint of sorrow in it as she mentioned Keiko.

Keiko moved back glaring up at the nurse. A tear rolled down her face.

"What are you, blind?! I am Keiko! And I want to go home! I want to go now! Now give me the phone! right now!" she cried out shaking violently. The nurse walked closer to her seeing her body.

"honey.. you stay right here.. I am going to go call the hospital. I think you might need some help.." Just as she was about to walk away a voice rang out calmly.

"Don't worry about it. We have her. Thanks for keeping her here. We are from the hospital.. we will take good care of her."

Keiko looked back seeing Koenma holding up a card that read that he was from the hopsital. She was completely speechless as Botan rushed up to her walking her outside of the room.

"no..no I am Keiko.. and she can see me.. I dont understand it...why?" Her voice was barely audibly as she was now held up by Botan alone.

"Keiko.. listen to me alright? Ok? That nurse.. and everyone else in there.. they didn't see Keiko.. they saw just some other student. And..why they saw you.. Its all part of the journey to Spirt world. Well not usually .. but.. we had to make you accept it. Please Keiko.. please just let go of your life. Let it go..and dont grab onto it again' Botans voice began to tremble as she cried as well.

Before she knew it, she was back at the mansion looking to the road that led to nowhere. It didn't take her anywhere. It just made her accept what nobody else could make her do.

She stared out to it as one more tear went down her face as she looked down hearing Botans voice.

"its a real shame how peoples lives go like that. The person stops moving.. they're breathing slows. The heart stops beating. And they're eyes close only to.." she trailed off looking away not wating to say anymore. The wind blew lightly making Keiko tremble more. The aurora dies down along with Keiko's refusal. She had finally accepted what had happened. She had no choice but to do so. That road had made her accept it. She closed her eyes feeling her body fade as she stood by the mansion dissappearing leaving the road to itself as her voice haunted the insides of the mansion and her school repeating the same thing over and over as the crying continued

"never to open..ever....again"

fin.........................

Zidet: ah well I changed a bit of it.. lets say it was based on my dream for god's sake.

Keiko: yeah well.. I didnt want to die..

Zidet: hey you said you accepted it....

Keiko: (nods )...huh? wait! no I-

Zidet: well everyone please read and review! And good luck on the road that leads to nowhere...and by the way...that story.. I just read it... IT DIDNT COME OUT AS I WANTED IT TOO!!! (CRIES)


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